Obama's rough 2013 prompts a new blueprint — An internal White House assessment concludes that President Obama must distance himself from a recalcitrant Congress after being badly damaged last year by legislative failures, a government shutdown and his own missteps.

The Koch Party — Only a few weeks into this midterm election year, the right-wing political zeppelin is fully inflated with secret cash and is firing malicious falsehoods at supporters of health care reform. — As Carl Hulse of The Times reported recently, Democrats have been staggered …

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, upon his return from a two-hour meeting at the White House between President Barack Obama and Republican senators, trying to come up with a bipartisan solution to the budget stalemate. — FONT:

HSBC tightens cash withdrawal rules — HSBC customers requiring large cash withdrawals may be asked what they want the money for — Some HSBC customers have been prevented from withdrawing large amounts of cash because they could not provide evidence of why they wanted it, the BBC has learnt.

Why Is the American Dream Dead in the South? — Upward mobility has stayed the same the past 50 years despite skyrocketing inequality. But it's lower in the South (and Ohio) than anywhere else in the U.S.—or the rest of the developed world. — The top 1 percent aren't killing the American Dream.

Natural gas pipeline explodes near Otterburne, Man. — Thousands without heat south of Winnipeg as arctic blast moves in — A natural gas pipeline explosion near Otterburne, Man., 50 kilometres south of Winnipeg, has left thousands without heat as temperatures drop to -20 C, or -34 C with the wind chill.

Bob Schieffer's interview with Texas Senator Ted Cruz — Shares - — BOB SCHIEFFER: We want to turn now to the President's State of the Union speech on Tuesday and we're going to Houston and the Tea Party Republican, Ted Cruz who led the shutdown of the government last fall because the president …

Poll finds little faith in nation's leaders — President Obama will speak to the nation Tuesday night with approval ratings lower than for any of his previous State of the Union addresses and with Americans broadly pessimistic that he or lawmakers of either party will make good decisions …

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